Alec Baldwin speaks out on MSNBC cancellation and GLAAD responds

Alec Baldwin's talk show on MSNBC has come to an end after five episodes.

Alec Baldwin's talk show on MSNBC has come to an end after five episodes. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

Patrick Kevin Day

Following the announcement that his MSNBC talk show "Up Late With Alec Baldwin" was canceled, the actor spoke out about the cancellation and the filmed incident that precipitated it. And one of his critics has responded.

Baldwin, whose low-rated talk show ended after just five episodes, became a focal point of controversy after a videotaped altercation with a reporter on a New York street appeared to show the actor telling the reporter off using a gay slur.

Though Baldwin has apologized for the comment, he has maintained that he never used a gay slur. But with the cancellation of his show, he's expressing frustration with those who criticized him, including GLAAD's vice president of communications, Rich Ferraro.

"But you've got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy -- Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan -- they're out there, they've got you," Baldwin told the website Gothamist. "Rich Ferraro, this is probably one of his greatest triumphs. They killed my show. And I have to take some responsibility for that myself."

Ferraro responded to Baldwin with a statement of his own, writing, "I consider GLAAD's campaigns to end the Boy Scout of America's ban on gay scouts, raise national visibility of the violence and inequality facing transgender people, and battling for marriage equality to be among my 'greatest triumphs.' But if a teacher, coach, local radio show host, or parent realizes that anti-LGBT slurs are outdated and unacceptable because of this Baldwin issue, I guess we'll call it a win. Alec Baldwin's team has not been open to turning this incident into an opportunity for public education and that's unfortunate."

Despite his high public profile, Baldwin's show on MSNBC struggled in the ratings, drawing just 395,000 viewers for what turned out to be its final episode on Nov. 8.

Baldwin is currently in Hawaii, where he's filming a role in director Cameron Crowe's next movie.